The present invention relates to technical field of card, in particularly to a method of manufacturing a card with flexible inlay.

In a traditional package and manufacture process of card (such as intelligent card), a hot lamination, typically at a temperature of about 135°C and a pressure of about 5-6MPa, was conducted to a plastic film such as PVC (Polyvinylchlorid) or PET (polyester) so as for the plastic film to integrate together firmly. However, this kind of manufacture process for card cannot be applied directly to a new card with flexible inlays, for example, a new intelligent card having intelligent card chip(s), flexible input equipment, etc, installed on a flexible board and flexible battery(s), as published in CN 101477607 A. Electric components and flexible display installed in the intelligent card are liable to damage at high temperature and high pressure. Additionally, due to difference in physical properties between material of the components and display and the material of the card itself, it is hard to combine the components and the display with the plastic material such as PVC. Conventionally, it remains a problem to manufacture the card with flexible inlays (such as flexible active board and flexible display), especially the new intelligent card with flexible inlay meeting the standard of IS07816/IS07810. No technical solution for manufacture of the new card with flexible inlay, especially for batch production of the new intelligent card with flexible inlay, has yet been disclosed up to now.

Related prior art is also disclosed in DE 199 18 852 C1 and CN 101281618 A.

Since no feasible solution is available in the prior art for manufacturing the new card production comprising therein flexible components such as flexible active board and flexible display, the invention provides a method as defined in claim 1 which is delimited over DE 199 18 852 C1 mentioned above.

Preferred embodiments are set out in the dependent claims.

Properties of the new card product with flexible inlay are guaranteed, offering a good manufacture base for massive application of new intelligent cards.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more details with reference to the drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a structural schematic representation of a upper housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a structural schematic representation of a lower housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 3 is a structural schematic representation of a card inlay according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 4 is a structural schematic representation of a housing-closed card according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 5 is a manufacture flow chart of card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The technical solution of the present invention will be discussed in details in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings and specific mode for carrying out the invention, taking the new intellectual card in accordance with the IS07816/7810 for example.

Figure 5 is a flow chart of manufacturing the card. As shown in the figure 5, the method of manufacturing a card according to the invention includes following steps 1-4:

• Step 1) manufacturing the upper housing and the lower housing with slots in match with card inlay(s). There are three manufacture methods.

Prepare sheet material made of synthetic resin or plastic, such as PVC (Polyvinylchlorid), PC (Polycarbonate), PETG (Polyethylene Terephtalate Glycol), PET (polyester) or ABS (Acrylonitrile) - butadiene - styrene copolymer). Process said sheet material by hot rolling to form a slot or slots, the dimension of which is in match with a respective one of the card inlays, thereby achieve a upper housing and a lower housing with slot(s) in match with the card inlay(s). Figure 1 is a structural schematic representation of the upper housing while figure 2 is a structural schematic representation of the lower housing. In figure 1 and figure 2, reference sign 11 refers to the upper housing, reference sign 21 refers to the lower housing, reference sign 12 refers to a clearance notch for installation of a card inlay such as a flexible display in the upper housing, reference sign 22 refers to a clearance notch for installation of a card inlay such as a flexible display in the lower housing; reference sign 13 refers to a clearance notch for installation of a card inlay such as a flexible battery in the lower housing; reference sign 14 refers to a clearance notch for installation of a card inlay such as flexible button(s) in the upper housing, reference sign 24 refers to a clearance notch for installation of a card inlay such as flexible button(s) and flexible board in the lower housing.

Prepare a sheet material made of synthetic resin or plastic, for example: PVC, PC, PETG, PET or ABS, etc. Use a milling machine or an engraving machine to mill said sheet material to prepare a slot or slots in match with card inlay(s), thereby achieving a upper housing and a lower housing with slots in match with the card inlay. The length and/or width of the milled slots can be decided based on length/ width of components of the inlays, and the depth of the milled slots can be decided based on the height of the components of the inlay.

Injecting directly plastic material into an injection mold to get a upper housing and a lower housing with slots in match with dimensions of a card inlay. Thinnest thickness for sheet production by using an ordinary injection mold is 0.18mm. In addition, when injection molding with respect to a card product embedded therein with components such as flexible battery and flexible display, thickness in different positions may vary. The part of plastic layer in front and bottom corresponding to the flexible display is thin, and may have a thickness of 0.1mm or less at a minimum; the part of plastic layer in the front and bottom corresponding to the flexible battery is thin too. In a preferred embodiment, an exhaust steel material or sub-frame inlay structure may be adopted in injection molding the thin part of plastic layer, which assists let-out of exhaust in the thin injection area, establishes a smooth passage for exhaust in mould frame, achieves a minimum colloidal resistance and ensures a smooth flow.

After finishing the injection using ordinary injection mold and ejecting the injection production from the mold, an ejector moulage may appear. In a preferred embodiment, in order to avoid the ejector moulage in the card, a pneumatic structure of the card ejection may be used in the injection mold, and two kinds of pneumatic structure can be used: air vents and funnel blowing structure.

Step 2) coating colloid on the inner surfaces of the upper housing and the lower housing.

Material of the card inlay may be different from material of the upper housing and the lower housing. The affinity between the different materials should be taken into consideration to avoid detachment of the card inlay from the upper housing and the lower housing, and thereby a bulging phenomenon. Material such as mastic coatings may be used to enhance the affinity between the material of the card inlay and the material of the upper housing and the lower housing. Additionally, since different components in the card inlay may have different height and tolerance, it is difficult for the inlay to make a perfect match with both the upper housing and the lower housing, and thus a filler such as the colloid may be needed to fill in intervals between the inlay and upper housing and the lower housing.

Figure 3 is a structural schematic representation of the card inlay. The inlay has different components such as battery, flexible board and flexible display, which shall be combined with the upper housing and the lower housing. In figure 3, reference sign 31 refers to a flexible battery, reference sign 32 refers to a flexible display, reference sign 33 refers to a flexible board, reference sign 34 refers to a flexible button. The colloid as selected should have a vitreous transition temperature of 35-70 °C and can be solidified by photo polymerization. Epoxy or thermoplastic polyurethane can be used as the colloid. Battery and chips within the inlay will not be badly affected when epoxy has a vitreous transition temperature under 70°C.

In an embodiment, colloid is coated by an automatic dispenser or an automatic spraying machine to the inner surfaces of the upper housing and the lower housing. The dispensing or spray may be conducted in uniform spacing and in either strip or dot. The dispenser machine can control accurately amount of the colloid and coating position of the colloid.

In a preferred embodiment, after the step of coating, a flexible roller may be used to smooth out the coated colloid. The aim of the smoothing is to spread out the colloidal strip uniformly, and to avoid bubble in following processes. The bubble may lead to uneven surface of finished card product.

After the smoothing, vacuum the upper housing and the lower housing coated with colloid in order to eliminate bubbles further.

Step 3) after coating the colloid on the upper housing and the lower housing and performing the smoothing and vacuuming accordingly, put the card inlay in a position of the upper housing and/or the lower housing corresponding to the slot, and close the upper housing and the lower housing together to get a housing-closed card.

Firm and flexible connection should be formed among individual components of card inlay. ISO7816/7810 defines not only a layout of components of the intelligent card but also a requirement that the intelligent card shall have a bending resistance. Figure 4 is a structural schematic representation of the housing-closed cards. In the figure 4, reference sign 11 refers to the upper housing, reference sign 21 refers to the lower housing, reference sign 23 refers to an area in the lower housing allocated for the battery as a card inlay, reference sign 24 refers to an area in the lower housing allocated for the button and flexible board as a card inlay. Place the individual card inlays in respective areas 22, 23 and 24 in the lower housing 21, each of which area has a profile in match with a respective card inlay, and then cover the lower housing 21 with the upper housing 11. Further, a flexible roller may be used to roll the housing-closed card, to make sure that a close contact is formed between the upper housing, the lower housing and the card inlay and bubbles can be avoided.

Step 4) after getting the housing-closed card, laminate the card at a middle range of temperature. Under traditional ways, laminating intelligent card is performed at

high temperatures of 135 °C and at pressure of 5-6MPa. In a preferred embodiment, the laminating process is performed at a middle temperature of 50-100°C at a lower pressure of 2.5-5MPa.

After the intelligent card has been finished, surface of the card may be printed. In ordinary ways of printing card, printing layer is not exposed directly, and the surface of the card has to be covered with a transparent protective film of 0.06-0.08mm in thickness. This invention may adopt a new way of card printing, which is distinct from the ordinary printing in the prior art. By this new way, the printing can be done on the surface of card, resulting in a higher requirement for wear resistance. Universal transfer printing, heat transfer printing or water transfer printing can be used to finish the printing on the surface of card.

At last, perform remaining processes based on standards such as IS07816 to finish stamping of letter, bonding of magnetic strip and fitting of contact IC to complete the whole process of card manufacturing.